SugarFree Protocol – Christine

Christine will join us on Monday, April 9, but you can read all about her now.

Christine’s Introduction:

Hi everyone – I’m excited to start Protocol on Monday. I’m forty, 5′ 4″, and weigh about 172 pounds. I’ve been dieting since sixth grade and have been on countless diets over the years. Diet camps, the Zone, No Carb, Vegan, and then on-and-off-again HCG since 2009. I loved HCG. Turned out to be the perfect yo-yo diet. Last August I reached my lowest weight of 138 pounds and was able to fit into a size four. Unfortunately as soon as I stopped starving myself the pounds came back with a vengeance. I’m now a size ten and definitely tired of this vicious cycle.

I reached out to SugarFree because diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and obesity runs in my family. I vowed that I wouldn’t get the health problems my family members are experiencing. So I need to get healthy now because if not, five years or so from now I will be a pill-popping, insulin taking, unhappy, depressed, and unhealthy individual with even worse Hypothyroidism, PCOS, and Insulin Resistance. After reading all of SugarFree’s threads and watching the 60 Minutes segment: “Is Sugar Toxic,” (answer: YES) I’m truly ready to change my eating habits.

This will definitely be an interesting journey for me because I love sugar and working out. And I love to dance! Before my knee injury I was dancing salsa twelve hours a week, Zumba three hours a week, and hip-hop two hours a week. SugarFree forbids strenuous exercise while on Protocol, because although Participants may be over-fat, they are also under-nourished. Exercise just makes the body hang on to fat even more. So I can’t exercise for at least six to twelve months, and that’s going to be tough for me. Hopefully I will be so happy with the results of getting healthy, that a year’s hiatus from dancing will be worth the sacrifice. Reading everyone’s blog and seeing how well they’ve done makes me excited to see what will happen to me in the coming months!

I woke up very hungry today. Ever since I stopped HCG two weeks ago, I’ve been eating anything I wanted. And wow, it shows! I can’t believe that since I weighed myself last week, I’ve gained another 5 pounds. That’s a ten pound gain in two weeks! The crazy thing is that I haven’t been gorging. I just ate 2-3 meals a day with starchy carbohydrates and sugar. I know I didn’t eat nearly as close as a surplus of 35,000 calories, it’s true as SugarFree says, it’s not the calorie count that matters, but what your body does with the calories you eat: burn, or store.

I was starving by the time I ate at 1 p.m. I was hoping to eat lunch earlier but I got busy with work. Also, I could feel a headache coming on. Although hungry, I didn’t really enjoy my lunch of salmon and buttered veggies. What made my lunch palatable was that I drank lime flavored sparkling water with each bite. I was full after my meal but I will definitely need to do some research on adding some flavors to my dishes or I’m going to be having a tough time eating. I know the next couple of days will be hard. I already miss my sugar and starch carbohydrates. Nonetheless, I’m still excited to take part of this Protocol.

[Note: Good news, bad news. The good news is that the headache is simply your body going through sugar withdrawal, and it will soon pass. The bad news is that you have to drink plain, not flavored, sparkling water. And by all means learn to cook with lots of wonderful spices! There’s no reason to ever eat ‘plain’ food. :)]

Oh wow. I now know how a drug addict feels. I’ve been hungry since yesterday and all I can think about is all of my favorite foods to which I’ve said goodbye. I’m feeling loopy and have trouble concentrating on tasks at hand. Also, I’m very grumpy and feeling short-tempered with everyone. I hope this feeling will pass soon because my self-control is shaky.

[Note: Drug withdrawal is always difficult, but it will pass in a few days. Besides, what other option do you have but to go through it – go back on the drug?]

I woke up this morning feeling slightly hungry, and then moved boxes up and down stairs to get ready to move. I took a break and went shopping, ate a few cheese samples, and then had an early lunch. I hope I’m not ravenous by the time evening comes along. I noticed I get severe cravings in the evening. Although I still think of foods throughout the day, it’s not as bad as it was in the first two days.

My glucose meter showed a spike of 111 for my 1-hour PP. But for my 2-hour PP it dropped back down from to 87. Hopefully, this won’t affect too much my progress for the next couple of days. I’d love to see my inches go down next Monday!

Although I feel a sleepy (went to bed late) I’m surprised that I don’t feel tired. I’m alert, have great energy, and last night was the first night I didn’t have any food cravings. I was able to run errands without wanting to eat, and I wasn’t feeling my usual hunger this morning. Yay! My fasting glucose is the lowest it’s been at 77 and my ketostix is moderate. Am I now beginning to lose fat? My clothes definitely feel looser! Not sure why my 2-hour PP went up to 85.

[Note: Whenever your 2-hr PP is higher than your 1-hr PP, it’s best to keep taking your blood sugar every hour from that point in order to see how long it takes before it goes down again. That’s how you can understand how long it takes for your blood sugars to return to normal after eating any particular food, or after stress. You don’t know unless you test, because some foods take a long time to fully convert to glucose.]

Today was a good day considering I didn’t sleep well last night. I kept waking up feeling restless. SugarFree said this will occur once lipolysis begins. I’m excited about that, but I hope my normal sleep patterns return soon. Considering I didn’t have much sleep, I didn’t wake up hungry and I had lots of energy.

I love roasted broccoli. I was never a big fan of broccoli because I grew up just eating it steamed. SugarFree’s suggestion of roasting the broccoli in olive oil and salt at high heat made it delicious! I felt good today and lots of energy.

I’m so happy that I lost inches in my waist! It’ s amazing a difference a week makes. My clothes definitely fit better. And today I ate the most delicious meal of salmon with an herb cream sauce and roasted vegetables. My cooking is improving and I’m enjoying my meals. Also, I don’t look for sugar as much. It’s so much easier to say no to desserts! Go figure since I have such a crazy sweet tooth. Should I now say “had”? I think so!

[Note: Well, it took you a while to truly believe what others on Protocol have said would happen to you, but you finally got there and in spectacular fashion. Great week!]

I’m amazed at how much my blood sugar spiked after finally eating some starchy carbs. I even took a 3-hour PP just to make sure my blood sugar level was still dropping. That number was 82. Although the potatoes were yummy I almost want to stay off starchy carbs for a little bit longer, since I don’t want to stop the great progress I’ve been making while on Protocol. I’ll be curious to see what my numbers will look like tomorrow.

[Note: Well, they’ll be numbers without a starchy carb. When you get numbers like this, the procedure is to back off for a few days and then try again.]

I really blew it last night. I don’t know if it was the potatoes I ate earlier in the day that made me a little hungry and craving carbohydrates.

[Note: Christine, given your high meter reading yesterday, I especially warned you about staying on the straight and narrow today. However, that one ounce of potato yesterday did not cause either hunger or cravings — but the ‘blowing it’ does account for your high readings today. It’s important that you take responsibility for ‘blowing it’ (instead of passing the buck to that poor tiny potato morsel), and that you understand ‘hunger and cravings’ were your rational for doing so.]

When I attended a work/dinner event yesterday evening, I had very little discipline! I ended up eating a piece of bread with butter, a couple of grilled shrimp, some cheese, strawberries, and mascarpone cream.

[Note: And sugar. Definitely sugar. In the mascarpone cream for sure, and probably in other foods as well.]

I’m disappointed with myself since I’ve been doing so well. This is not the first time I’ve been surrounded by temptation during the start of Protocol. People have eaten ice-cream, cake, cookies, and my favorite savory foods in front of me without me feeling tempted to cheat. Since starting Protocol, I’ve been to dinner with clients without eating a bite. So yesterday’s cheating is so upsetting! I probably disrupted my lipolysis. I hope my body gets back in track within the next couple of days. This morning, I woke up hungry and my fasting glucose of 93 was higher than normal. My 1-hour PP was 114! The meter doesn’t lie, that’s for sure.

[Note: It doesn’t, but as long as you take responsibility for your actions, it’s not the end of the world either. Think of it as a ‘learning moment’ since now you know through experience and not just theory what even one evening’s consumption of sugar will do to you, a diabetic — even a day later. Had you taken a 1-hr PP after eating those foods (and you should have, to see the full extent of the damage), your blood sugars would likely have been upwards of 160 — definitely pancreas beta cell-destroying territory. And that’s far more serious than setting lipolysis back a few days, because you only have a finite number of beta cells, and they never regenerate. If this lesson is now not only learned but ingrained … move forward and do so with greater understanding.]

I’m feeling a little tired today. For the past two nights, I haven’t slept well. Between 12-hour work days and volunteering at a non-profit, it’s been a little hectic. I think my slightly higher than usual fasting glucose number is a result of the cheating from Tuesday and stress.

My glucose level readings are higher than usual but I’m going to blame that on stress. I had a 14-hr work day yesterday, and after another restless night I woke up tired again and feeling a little sniffly and having a slight scratchy throat. Today is another crazy day of working, then driving hours to LA tonight to visit a project site. This weekend is definitely going to be stressful, so I’m curious on how high my blood glucose levels will be over the next few days.

[Note: Aside from an elevated fasting reading, your glucose levels have been fine. But if you know you’re going to be under stress, it’s always best to up your fat a little and lower your starchy carbs. Can’t hurt, and may help. :)]

It’s a stressful day today with work and then driving back to San Francisco. I know that I’m definitely coming down with something because I feel so tired and now have a sore throat and sniffly nose. Also, TOM is imminent.

Today I tried to do Protocol while eating out to the best of my abilities. I had lunch at the hotel and ordered a steak with blue cheese and vegetables and a baked potato. I had to guess portion sizes since I didn’t bring my weighing scale with me on my trip. My 1-hour PP of 118 was high, so I’m guessing there was sugar in this meal that I was unaware of. Also, I tried again today with introducing a starchy carb into my meal. That might also be the cause of the high spike.

[Note: You’ve discovered the danger of ordering starch carbs while eating out. Until you’ve memorized what one ounce of potato looks like — and are willing to cut that small amount off the giant potato you’ll be served and immediately sending all the rest back to the kitchen — best to forgo altogether and eat a salad (with olive oil they bring you, along with any vinegar but balsamic, and absolutely no croutons) and steak. ]

Today is my first day of maintenance and I had a hard time finishing the food at lunch. I’m not used to eating 150 grams of fat. It was a struggle to satisfy the requirement. I ended up eating one pat of butter by itself because I didn’t have anything to put it on. I was planning to have a starchy carb but decided to back off since my fasting glucose was higher than normal. Once again, I hoping it’s stress, TOM, and being sick that’s causing my numbers to go up. Anyway, I look forward for things to stabilize in the next couple of days.

Although today is my second day of maintenance, SugarFree put me on a special diet because I’m ill. I’m trying to get over a bad cough and cold I picked up over the weekend so she gave me eggs, bacon, butter, and a piece of toast to help me recover more quickly. Not sure if I ate enough butter to counteract the toast. My 1-hour PP was a high of 109! I know being sick and having stress causes the glucose levels to rise, but I’m hoping within the next couple of days, my numbers start dropping back down.

[Note: Christine, it was absolutely the bread so none tomorrow. Eggs and bacon and extra butter, too. Feel better soon!]

Feeling a little bit better today, but I still have a cough with phlegm and I feel really tired. I’m ready to hit the sack by 10:30 which is really early for me. One good thing about being sick is I really don’t have an appetite to eat, so I don’t crave anything.

[Note: Christine, this bug is definitely making the rounds. Continue to eat lightly and drink tea with some coconut oil in it until you are fully recovered. Feel better soon!]

Still recovering from a bad cough and feeling tired. I’m now on some antibiotics and hopefully can kick this sickness by the weekend. It definitely side-tracked me on my first week of maintenance. I was all excited to try different foods and cooking with the various fats. But for now, I’ve been having eggs, bacon, chicken broth, and lots of butter these past couple of days to help with the recovery. And I’m happy to see my fasting glucose to be back to my “normal” numbers of mid-70′s. I was concerned that my numbers were elevated this week.

Today is my fourth day eating eggs, bacon, chicken broth, and butter while I’m still sick. Once I’m hundred percent better, it might be a while before I eat eggs and bacon again. Still have a cough, but the antibiotics is helping out. I’m not as congested and finally not as tired. I’m hoping to have my first true Maintenance meal on Sunday. I want to try to make chopped liver. SugarFree promises me that I’m going to love it since I’ve been struggling eating liver these past couple weeks. I’m happy that my blood sugar is getting back to normal.

[Note: Christine, I’m so glad you’re feeling better. Instead of having eggs and bacon tomorrow, have half of a normal Maintenance menu instead, and you should be ready for all the food on the full menu on Sunday.]

I finally had a meal that wasn’t eggs, bacon, chicken broth, and butter. SugarFree said to eat half of a normal Maintenance menu to slowly ease me back onto the program. I felt a little tired afterwards but I’m happy that my glucose levels are doing fine. Tomorrow I’m going to try to have a full Maintenance meal since being sick.

Wow. I’m now glad SugarFree had me off Maintenance meals while I was sick. Although the food was tasty today, I had a really hard time finishing my meal. I had to take a ten minute break from eating in order to finish. I felt so heavy afterwards!

Today’s food was delicious! I’m going to love being on Maintenance with the various possibilities I can do with my meals. Tomorrow I’m going to have chopped liver for the first time and hopefully it will be delicious. Except for a slight cough, today’s the first day I’m also feeling 100%. Glad my waist and hip measurement went down slightly even though I wasn’t even on Maintenance meals for the past week.

Finally made some chopped liver last night. It’s definitely much better but I’m still not a big fan of liver. It’s a food I will just have to get used to. I just read online that soaking liver overnight in heavy cream helps gets rid of some of that liver taste.

[Note: Myth. For better tasting chopped liver, make sure it’s chopped, not paste. Make sure you’ve cooked the livers properly: well salted thirty minutes before cooking and left out to reach room temp. Make sure the skillet and fat are sizzling hot so you can cook briefly enough to have the inside of the livers remain pink yet obtain the Mallard Reaction on the outside. And especially make sure you salt the final product well, since when it cools some of the saltiness will be lost. No one likes bland chopped liver!]

I feel much better and completely over being sick. I’m also amazed at how much fat I’m digesting. Is it normal to feel a little sleepy after eating such a huge meal? I’m ready to take a nap!

[Note: Happens to me sometimes, sometimes not. The body has to work very hard to digest a truly fat-filled meal. But speaking of which — look at your gorgeous BG numbers. :)]

Not sure why my fasting glucose was higher than it was the past couple of days. I woke up with a headache since I didn’t sleep well last night. I kept waking up sneezing. It’s allergy season.

[Note: You answered your own question. Your FG was higher today because of the allergies, which raises cortisol, which suppresses insulin, which raises blood sugars.]

Other than that, I’m enjoying eating during Maintenance. It’s delicious and so filling. So happy to see that eating brown rice didn’t spike my blood sugar. Already looking for some recipe ideas for the next couple of days. Just getting excited about the possibilities!

I had another bad night of sleeping. My allergies are so bad, I woke up to an asthma attack. I haven’t had those in 15 years! I’m running a low-grade fever, so I saw my allergist this morning and I’m diagnosed with the beginning of a sinus infection. She put me on a nasal spray and an asthma inhaler that contains steroids. It’s definitely affecting my BG numbers. I had a fasting glucose in the 80′s and my 1-hour PP was a high of 100. Not too happy about that since I just got over being sick last weekend.

My sinus infection and allergies are getting the best of me. I woke up this morning with a low-grade fever and feeling a little tired. Tea with a teaspoon of coconut oil helped perked me a bit. I’m relieved though that despite not feeling great, my 1-hour PP was not 100 or over, and that’s because SugarFree added a lot more fats to menu to help overcome the steroids I must take for the next two weeks. Wow, I’ve never eaten so much butter and fats in my life; it’s definitely a life-style change! I’ve been on a low-fat diet since I was fifteen. I’m fascinated at how my clothes feel looser but the numbers on my scale say a different thing. I’m tempted to just throw out the scale forever!

I had brunch at a restaurant today with my boyfriend and I ordered eggs Benedict with bacon and a side of sautéed garlic spinach and steamed asparagus. I forgot my stick of butter so I ate what the restaurant had. I checked the label for any sugar and I didn’t see any so I think I was okay. The only problem is I know I didn’t have enough fat for the day. I was a little hungry by 5 pm and I ended up have some cheese. I’m still learning how to eat out while on Maintenance.

Woohoo. My waist and hip measurements went down slightly. So happy about that since I’m on steroids and I’m afraid it would affect my numbers. Also, I love how my nails and hair are so much stronger and thicker. One thing I notice though, is I’ve been feeling slightly restless. Not sure where that is coming from!

I woke up this morning so tired. I was kept awake last night from really bad allergies. Although I’m taking medication and steroids for my sinus infection and allergies, I was sneezing like crazy last night. My allergist did warn me that May is the height of allergy season where the pollen count will be the highest. This is definitely affecting my BG numbers. I was planning to eat berries tomorrow but I think I want to hold off until my numbers are a lot lower.

Still having a hard time with the allergies. I woke up this morning with an asthma attack and had to take a double dose of steroids. Relieved though that my BG wasn’t as bad as yesterday’s numbers. I’m hoping this doesn’t affect my measurements on Monday since I have to increase my dosage of steroids. I am leaving on a last-minute trip tomorrow morning and will be back Saturday afternoon. This will be the first time I will be traveling and relying solely on restaurant food for the next three days. Hopefully I will be making the right food choices! Wish me luck. I won’t be reporting till I get back on Monday.

It’s still definitely a challenge to eat outside while on maintenance. I worried that I didn’t have enough fats. I had a burger with cheese and avocado (minus half the bun) and a spinach salad with olive oil and vinegar. I also ate 6 little pats of butter that the restaurant provided and 3 mini cheeses that I brought along with me. That evening I ate the chocolate mint candy the hotel provided to guests. I was on my second piece of chocolate when I realized what I was doing. It’s amazing how you really don’t think about what you eat when you are busy chatting away and doing other things. I guess it’s easy to revert back to old habits of mindless eating. Aaargh. Must be more careful and aware!

Today, I wasn’t able to have my first meal till 5 pm. I was quite hungry by the time I arrived at the restaurant although I nibbled on cheese and 2 pats of butter around 1 pm. I had lobster and prime rib with lots of butter for dinner. I also had the creamed spinach and steamed asparagus and broccoli with hollandaise sauce. Delicious!

I had brunch today and ate eggs benedict with half an english muffin, cheese, avocado and several pieces of bacon and lots of butter. I also ordered a spinach salad for my veggies. I had 3 pieces of strawberries for the first time since I started Protocol and maintenance. It was delicious but I noticed that my 1-hour PP was 101. I don’t know if it was the strawberries, the english muffin or the house butter. I’ll try again with fruit next week and hopefully it won’t spike up my BG numbers.

Today was Mother’s Day and I made an herbed salmon with lots of cream for me and my folks. They got to enjoy a Maintenance meal with me, but I did warn them that having sugar with this food will make them gain weight. They enjoyed an ice-cream for dessert while I sort of went off protocol and had a small piece of pineapple. It was delicious. It’s good to be back home and cooking again. At least I know what I’m actually putting in my body. I’m curious to know what my numbers will be tomorrow.

I think I did all right this weekend considering I was traveling and not cooking for myself. I didn’t gain any weight and my waist and hip measurements stayed the same. The only thing that went up is my bust, and I’m hoping it’s because it’s TOM. These past couple of days were a test to see if I can do maintenance and lead a “normal” life. It’s totally doable as long as you are mindful of what you put in your mouth. Also, it helps to research the restaurants and menus prior to going. There is a possibility that I might go to Paris next Monday for a week. My friend is graduating from Cordon Bleu and she invited me to stay with her. Can you imagine the possibilities the Maintenance meals I can have while in Paris? I’m going to request that she makes me foods that have lots of fat. Oooh la-la!

[Note: Oooh la-la indeed! If you do go to Paris (and I hope you do), you can stay on Maintenance one more week – otherwise, it’s back to Protocol on Monday.]

Today I woke up with a terrible headache that hasn’t gone away yet. I slept enough last night and I wasn’t hungry after my meal so I’m not quite sure what’s causing my headache. I know my slightly elevated BG numbers are the result of the steroid cream I’m using. I look forward to when my numbers go back to the 70′s and 80′s. Hopefully once I’m off steroids and not having TOM, my numbers will look better.

Today I woke up feeling good. And I’m happy to see that my BG numbers are back to normal. Tomorrow I will be trying berries with my meal and I hope it doesn’t spike up my 1-hr PP. Keeping my fingers crossed. Also, it’s official. I’m heading to Paris on Sunday for a week. Dreaming of the lovely food I’m going to eat there! Thank you, SugarFree, for letting me have one more week of Maintenance while I’m in Paris.

[Note: That’s only because you’re sneaking me onto the plane in your suitcase, right? Actually, I am positivelygreenwith envy, and will live through you vicariously as you munch your way up one side of Paris and down and down the other. :D]

I ate dessert for my meal today. I had a blueberry “frozen yogurt” that I made from frozen blueberries and heavy cream. Vita-mixers rock! It was delicious. Best of all, my 1-hour PP didn’t go crazy with the added fruit. Next week, I’m going to test eating a square of dark chocolate. Hopefully I will have the same results. I have been missing eating dessert these past several weeks, so fruits and chocolates are a godsend.

Loving my BG numbers. I feel pretty good today. I’m not feeling tired, the allergies are under control, TOM is over, and I had a good night’s rest. I’m amazed at how healthy my hair, skin, and nails are. The hair and nails are growing like crazy. I just had a haircut and manicure two weeks ago and I need to go back again to the salon!

Busy trying to finish work so I can be stress-free while on vacation. I won’t be reporting till Monday the 28th when I get back from Paris.

[Note: Have an absolutely FABULOUS trip! Take your meter with you, enjoy everything, and tell us all about it when you return. Bon Voyage!]

I arrived home from my trip late last evening. Before I left Paris yesterday, I measured myself and I’m excited to say that my waist is now one inch smaller than a week ago. Holy cow! I can’t believe it. I ate lots of rich food – butter, cream, foie gras, cheese, beef bourguignon, coq au vin, croissants, chicken normandy, brioche, gratin dauphinois, strawberries and homemade mascarpone. I even had a half a glass of wine almost every other night. I did bring my meter and for the most part, my BG numbers were excellent and under 100. The past week has been a week of enjoying ridiculously good food and walking around the city 12 hours a day.

I was really spoiled with the cooking since my friend and her housemates are studying at Le Cordon Bleu. I had french-chefs-in-training cooking my meals everyday! I think I need to move to Paris for the next six months so I can continue to lose weight. I must confess, I did have a french macaroons one day. I couldn’t resist. It was delicious, but I was surprised how overly sweet I found them to be. Two months ago, I could eat a half a dozen macaroons in one sitting with no problems. Now a single taste is more than enough!

Today is technically my first day of my 2nd round of Protocol. So far so good. I’m not hungry but I’ll see how I feel later tonight. I know that from reading the blogs I may be hungry for the next couple of days until my body goes into lipolysis. I’m going to miss the yummy fats of Maintenance, but I’m looking forward to losing the inches for the next two weeks.

[Note: Christine, welcome home! Oh, what a marvelous trip you had, and I have no doubt that you want to return. Just promise to sneak me in a suitcase next time. So yes, you experienced the “French Paradox” yourself, the one that has our medical profession so mystified. How can those people eat so much fat yet stay so thin, they ask. It must be the wine! LOL – and of course, we all know – it’s not the wine, it’s the FAT. The wine just helps the fois gras slip down a bit easier. :D]

Last night was difficult. By five I was very hungry; even my boyfriend noticed my frustration of not being able to eat. He asked why I kept sighing all night long. LOL. Thank goodness drinking lots of tea and watching a good movie helped a little. I was happy that the hunger was gonewhen I woke up this morning. I just have to keep myself occupied and busy in the evenings for the next couple of days and definitely away from temptation.

I ate lunch at a restaurant and tried to choose a meal that was Protocol friendly. Hopefully the higher fat content of my meal won’t affect the lipolysis too much.

I’m still ravenous at night but in the morning my hunger is gone. I’m been feeling antsy lately …very similar to how I felt when I did my first round of Protocol… as if I have too much energy! I hope this means the start of lipolysis and fat loss. Woohoo. Here’s to the loss of inches and fat.

Today was another day at eating at a restaurant. I did bring my veggies with me and I think I did pretty well. My BG numbers were normal and I didn’t cheat and succumb to eating pancakes or the chocolate beignets. I have to say this 2nd round of Protocol feels a lot easier than the first time. Feeling great and the hunger is gone!

I almost want to throw away my scale. It doesn’t reflect how well I’m doing. I know I am losing fat because people are noticing my weight loss and my clothes are getting loser. Even during TOM I have lost inches. How cool is that!

Feeling pretty good, despite the weight gain due to TOM. Last night I had some joint pain in the knees. Never had this happen till now. Hopefully it will go away with the Boswellia Extract that SugarFree recommended on my supplement list.

Had to eat lunch super early today since I have a conference to attend. Hopefully I won’t be hungry by evening. Otherwise, feeling good today and have lots of energy. My knees still ache a little bit at night but it’s getting better. I’m curious with what food is causing the joint pain.

[Note: If it is true joint pain, it’s not the food – it’s arthritis. If it is arthritis, the Boswellia Extract will indeed help you feel better because it lowers the inflammation arthritis causes — though it takes a few weeks to build up in your body. Getting into a pool and water jogging will help tremendously.

On the other hand, if it’s more of a muscle ache, this could be a sign of magnesium or more likely, potassium deficiency caused by eating the low sodium and diuretic diet that is the Protocol. Which is why I urge Participants to have a liberal hand with salt when cooking, and if that is not sufficient, to drink half a cup of chicken bouillon with your meal. If you try this for a day or so and the pain in your knees/legs disappears completely – this is the cause.]

I attended my cousin’s baby shower this afternoon and my aunt was kind enough to cook my meal for me “Protocol” style. I did tell her that I can’t eat sugar so I was shocked to have my 1-hour PP reading be 112. Later in the evening, I found out she used regular store-bought whipping cream with sugar and honey butter to prepare my food. Also, the peach flavored ice-tea I was guzzling all day at their house turned out to have malto-dextrin. Yikes! Hopefully, this day doesn’t affect me too much with weight gain. I felt really good about my progress of the past two weeks.

I feel a lot lighter this past week of Protocol. My clothes feel looser especially in the thighs and arms, but my measurements and scale numbers don’t reflect that.

[Note: Yes, they do. You’re losing fat in places you don’t measure, but can see, like thighs and arms. You are becoming slimmer, with a lower body fat percentage and a higher lean muscle mass percentage. Since lean mass weighs far more than fat, the scale won’t move much — but the tape measure will. :)]

I was hoping to lose another inch or two from my waist during this round of Protocol.

[You did. You lost a total of 1.25″ in the last two weeks. To expect more is very unrealistic at your relatively low weight. It is far more likely that you will lose an average of one-half to one-inch on each subsequent round of Protocol.]

I do understand that it took years of yo-yo dieting to mess up my metabolism and I won’t fix it in two weeks or two months; it may take years – and I will try to find the patience to get through it, while accepting the slow pace.

Loving my added butter. It’s funny, when I first started Protocol I was never a big fan of butter or mayo. Now, I find them delicious! Maintenance is great because I get to have more. I’m going on a camping trip and will definitely bring my cooler of mayo and butter with me.

Woke up feeling pretty good. Enjoying being back on Maintenance. Also, I’m happy that my knee pain is gone. I have a feeling it was due to having too little salt. I’m now very liberal with the salt shaker.

Got back last night from a four-day camping trip. Brought a cooler of butter, mayonnaise and duck fat to last me for the entire trip. I ate burgers, salmon, bacon, eggs, cheese, broccoli, green beans, and asparagus. My fellow campers were amazed at how much fat I ate. They didn’t complain though, they wanted to eat my food too!

We did three days of hiking – mostly very moderate except for the last day when we actually got lost during our hike. We ended up taking the wrong trail and hiked 11 miles instead of our usual 4 miles. I fell during the hike and sprained an ankle. I also ran out of water 4 hours into the walk. Needless to say it became a very strenuous hike. I’m still sore from yesterday’s adventure. I’m sure it’s the reason my BG’s are higher than usual.

I biked fourteen blocks to watch a baseball game, and I was out of breath for the ten minute ride. I was worried that my BG’s would be sky-high, but it was only 86 an hour after the ride. Whew.

[Note: If a ten minute bike ride got you out of breath, it’s time for you to start walking daily: thirty minutes a day. No jogging or ‘power’ walking – just a stroll, but for a full thirty minutes seven days a week.]

Woke up a little tired with a scratchy throat and a slightly stuffy nose. Had some green tea with coconut oil. Hopefully this goes away soon. Being sick raises insulin levels and I definitely don’t want that!

Last night my cold became full-blown and I was freezing even though I was all bundled up. By this afternoon I had a slight fever. Tomorrow I plan to have a modified Maintenance meal of eggs, bacon, and chicken broth to help me get over being sick.

Hi everybody. It’s good to be back after two weeks of vacation. Today is my first day of my third round of Protocol and I’m excited and motivated to do well for the next two weeks. Looking forward to losing some inches!

Woke up this morning with a lot of energy. Last night I kept myself busy and away from temptation. I was hungry around ten, dreaming of dark chocolate and berries. The first couple of days back on Protocol is challenging. I had to remind myself that my goal for the next couple of weeks is to lose inches and fit into a skirt and top that’s just one size away now. Wish me luck!

I felt really restless last night, tossing and turning with a feeling of energy coursing through my fingertips to the tip of my toes. I hope the next day or so won’t be too difficult to stay on track since it’s also TOM. I’m feeling cranky and hungry!

[Note: The restlessness is of course due to fat burning, which always seems to happen in the middle of the night. The hunger is because you do not have enormous amounts of excess adipose fat left to lose, and your brain is sending you ghrelin, trying to get you to eat. It may well be that you have only another one or two rounds of Protocol left, and that you will likely be on Lifetime Maintenance in a few months. As your metabolism continues to heal, you will continue to lose fat and inches, though it will be more slowly, which is what our bodies prefer.]

Today I cooked garlic noodles with scallops for my family for lunch since it was my mom’s birthday. Wow, it was delicious! The hardest part was to not eat more noodles. One ounce is so tiny! I had to leave the table as soon as I was done eating so I wouldn’t indulge.

[Note: As you can see, your body was ready to have that much, and with snow peas too! Once you’re back on Maintenance and eating more fat — try two ounces and see how that goes. :)]

I took a client to brunch this morning at a restaurant. I’m not sure what caused my 1-hour PP to spike over 100. I’ve had this meal before and was able to maintain good BG levels. Hopefully it doesn’t affect any lipolysis I might be going through. I’ll be curious to see the scale and measurements on Monday.

[Note: There was hidden sugar in your meal, which is why eating out is so problematic for all Americans who do not want to eat it. It’s everywhere, and in almost everything. :(]

I attended a friend’s birthday lunch today. I ended up ordering a burger and a bowl of spinach. I also brought with me some roasted green beans and kale chips to keep from eating more fries than I should. I think I did pretty well. My BG numbers were below 100!

It’s TOM so I’m feeling really bloated right now. I’m happy to see though that my measurements went down for both my bust and waist! Tomorrow I will cut the starchy carb to make sure my BG numbers go back to normal again.

Still bloated from TOM. Otherwise, I’m feeling okay and my BG numbers are back to my normal range. I think I’ll hold off one more day from the starchy carbs to hopefully ensure lipolysis for the next couple of days.

Added two ounces of corn today to my meal and I’m not too happy to see my 1-hour PP was 100. My body is still sensitive to a higher quantity of starchy carbs. I’m going to lay off for two days, then try again to see what happens.

[Note: Christine, a 100 1-hr PP after eating corn is really not bad at all, especially when placed in the context of a great fasting AND 2-hr PP. And in the context of your history. Just three months ago, on April 17, you ate a single ounce of potato and your 1-hr was 127! There was a lot of red ink back then, and absolutely none now. That’s real progress. Still, backing off for two days (or having a single ounce tomorrow of the SAME veggie) would be instructive. :)]

I woke in the middle of the night tossing and turning and having a ton of energy. I almost wanted to get up and go for a walk at 3 a.m.! Today, I tried having corn again but only one ounce as per SugarFree’s suggestion. Whew, I’m glad to see that my BG numbers are looking good.

I was in a seminar this past weekend and was unable to prepare my own food. I did bring lots of kale chips, roasted broccoli, and butter with me. I’m happy to say that regardless of a haphazard attempt to do Protocol during the conference, I was still able to lose a pound and my measurements are down 1.75 inches for the week. Awesome!

[Note: Awesome, indeed — great week! :)]

October 10, 2012

Hi, Everyone! Sorry I never made it back here in September as I originally planned. My work has temporarily taken over my life for longer than I expected.

I haven’t given up on Protocol though. I’ve been on extended Maintenance, and over the last few months I’ve only gained three pounds and ZERO inches. In fact, I lost a 1/4 inch on my bust. SugarFree has advised me to stat vigilant, to continue to measure what I eat, use my meter, and to take my measurements every week, which I will do. She warned me that I’m still insulin resistant and that it my take years for me to become fully insulin sensitive again. I hope to to come back to this wonderful community once my life has calmed down again. Take care everyone — I hope to see you in the New Year.

5 Responses to SugarFree Protocol – Christine

Welcome, Christine. Several of us have been walking in your shoes, so you are not alone. I found this protocol far easier to manage than the HCG. Never mind that it is vastly more healthy and healing. Just wait until next Monday and you will be saying the same thing.